Basilio 'Baz' Montagna
Appearance Basilio is a solidly built man with an athlete's physique. His black hair is shaved to the skin on the side in an undercut and he has a scruffy beard that seems to be shaved whenever he remembers to do so, and never well. Two alert brown eyes peer out from his thick eyebrows, and a smile always seems to grace his lips. Burns cover his body the most prominent being the ones up his arm and legs from using his knack for fire a bit too recklessly as a child, other minor ones on his waist and shoulder resemble light hand-prints. He usually wears a singed brown overcoat, with various cuts and frays that he never bothered to get mended and wears a a light brown tunic underneath, though in hotter climates such as Xen'drik he forgoes the tunic and wears the overcoat open, and in colder climates he adds a fur vest over his tunic. His pants are baggy and held up by a thick leather belt meant for a creature much bigger than him. The belt has a pouch attached where Basilio keeps his woodworking tools, and has various small wooden busts hanging from strings on the side, all people Basilio has met and carved. Both the sleeves of his overcoat and his pants legs are folded up as to not catch fire when he ignites his limbs and he always walks around barefoot. He also wears a brass band on his right arm that allows him to cast "jump" on himself at will, and carries around a thick metal rod, likely attached to a gate or a post before he ripped it off and started to swing it around like a quarter staff. It has certainly seen better days as it has very prominent dents and bends in it from particularly hardy opponents. History Basilio was born surrounded by his mother's servants and Kundarak hired Jorasco wet-nurses many leagues away from his homeland on a lonely island, in a prison built within a volcano. Not a typical environment for a child, but not one Basilio particularly complains about either. Basilio was a bright-eyed energetic child and soon became the darling of the prison, the dwarven guards allowing the small boy some freedom to explore outside his cell as long as he didn't go anywhere too dangerous. His mother and her servants attempted to raise Basilio as a proper Cyran the best they could, and regardless of their current imprisoned state, they were able to get him some books and the like to give him an education. But they, including his mother, in the end, were better at teaching him how to fight than teaching him court intrigue and how to conduct himself properly in upper society, and with his frequent interactions with the hardy dwarven guards and the more war-trained prisoners he grew up to be rowdy, curious and adventurous, young man, going to a Karrnathi captain for conqueror games, and trying to learn goblin to translate between the Wardens and some of the goblin mercenaries held into the lower wards.   The Fernian manifest zone the prison was attuned to also effected Basilio in unforeseen ways. It started with the boy's footfalls becoming lighter, and his feet sometimes catching flame when he practiced the Cyran tago with his mother and her servants, to their shock and his delight.     However, this time in Basilio did not last and at the age of 15, the former warden who had allowed Basilio so much freedom retired and was replaced with Harold d'Kundarak, an unpleasant thuggish warden who abused or neglected prisoners and cut off Basilio's freedoms indefinitely. For the next 4 years Basilio saw some of the nicer guards of the prison get replaced or cycled out for a less savory lot, and beatings get more severe when prisoners, including himself, mouthed off to the newcomers.     One day his mother, her servants and Basilio were given a short span to gather their things and escorted out of the prison. When asked why one of the guards exclaimed that seeing as Cyre was no more and the deposits for their imprisonment had dried up, the boy and his mother were someone else's problem now. While his mother and her servant’s were deeply effected by the destruction of their homeland, Basilio was more dazed at his sudden new found freedom.    They were granted passage to the Cyran refugee camp in Breland and unsure on how to proceed, Basilio elected to go find work in Sharn as his mother and her remaining servants were in no age to work. While Isabella protested, Basilio also pointed out that his mother did have experience outside the prison, which could be used for the benefit of New Cyre unlike a thug like himself who just knew how to get into scraps. Basilio quickly joined the Deathsgate Guild and for the next 5 years Basilio made a name for himself as an adventurer. However, when his mother fell ill and was bedridden, Basilio took more and more dangerous missions for money, almost getting killed in a Stormreach expedition. Not sure how to provide for his mother’s Jorasco bill, without back to back dangerous missions, Basilio got an envelope from the Wayfinders guild offering better pay, for less objectively suicidal jobs per month. Basilio, of course, accepted. The Last War Basilio spent most of his life a prisoner of war. He talked to other prisoners, but besides that his knowledge of the war in general was very limited from inside L05T. The Mourning led to his release a few months later, and his proceeding work in the Deathsgate, until the signing of the treaty, sometimes brought him into conflict with adventurers from other countries attempting to get another bargaining chip before any peace could be hammered out. Invitation After his near fatal expedition in the sewers of Stormreach, Basilio and the surviving, non-injured, non-wererat crew of Deathsgaters did the one reasonable thing to do after a mission gets completely at so heavy a cost: go on a pub-crawl, get roaring drunk, and brag about their exploits to other adventurers, especially those Clifftoppers. During this pub-crawl Basilio had a chat with an old shifter at the bar. After a few drinks and boasts Basilio got into a wager with her that if he did carry 4 of his crew (it was 2) from a wererat warren out into the light of day again uninjured (1 of them became a wererat and had to be knocked unconscious and carried to a temple) with their prize, a strange giant-made crown that had been worn by a hive mind of eight wererats connected by the tail (that was true) that he single-handedly (he had help) killed (5 of the 8 wererats were still very much alive and probably looking for revenge), he would have no problem taking on the pit-fight gauntlet the bar he was currently at was known for. Basilio doesn't remember how far he got in the gauntlet, but the next morning he woke up to the barman patting him on the back and handing him a fancy belt he apparently bet an ogre for with his own trousers as collateral and the prize money that wasn't stolen while he slept, and a week later in Sharn a letter was delivered to his apartment with the Foundation's seal. Experience Basilio was a very promising adventurer in the Deathsgate Guild with 5 years of experience, with legs that carried him out of dangerous situations and shoulders that have carried his allies out of them as well, all with relative good cheer in the face of death or worse (see "Invitation"). His ranged fire punches and hit and run tactics also makes him a tricky combatant when force is required and while he can't lie for his life and always says one word too much in conversations, his life in prison has given him a relatively keen eye on peoples motives, which has saved his life during his time with the guild once or twice. Motivation Basilio claims adventuring is the quickest way to money but really, he's just fascinated with the outside world he's only just experiencing. Basilio's existence consisted of one prison for 19 years and now that he's out he wants to see and experience all of it. And besides, he's heard interesting things about the Sharn branch from his time in the Deathsgate Guild. If he's going to do incredibly stupid things, it has to be with people that will be equally likely to initiate it too. Future Goals * Basilio is interested in Fernia and the Efreeti... for no reason, just curious. * Basilio claims to not care about Cyre or its remnants but he does want to know who was responsible for his mother's imprisonment. If there was some foul-play involved Basilio has sworn to himself that there would be harsh reprisal extracted for his mother's lost years. Secrets His Mother Basilio's mother never told Basilio the reasons for her imprisonment and Basilio never asked. By what he heard from the guards of L05T, she showed up one day with a Deneith escort and a letter for the former Kundarak Warden. Basilio suspects she was a highborn of some sort, from her knowledge of Cyran court, but the fighting prowess she and her servants possess seem to indicate military experience as well. Basilio is content in his ignorance as he already has issues in calling himself a "Cyran" despite never setting foot on Cyran soil, and any history his mother has, he doesn't feel he has a right to take on himself, unless it involves cracking heads and taking names. (The Actual Identity of Isabella Montagna and Baz's father is up to DMs, if that even is her real name) People who would know of this: His mother and her servants, his father if he survived, the Former Kundarak Warden People who could suspect: The Deneith that escorted Isabella, high ranking or keen eyed House Kundarak members in L05T, shrewd gossips, spies and schemers within Cyre His Mentor Basilio's heavily fire based fighting style wasn't a direct effect of the Fernian manifest zone but from his instructor. Basilio first met his mentor after an argument with his mother about learning the Cyran Tago. Basilio was clumsy in his step and feeling defeated and ashamed he hid under the food trolley unseen and explored the deeper reaches of the prison that the guards had always warned him not to go to. Down where it became so hot sweat poured from his little brow like rain and his throat dried to the point he could barely speak, he met a young boy that appeared to be made of black glass and bubbling amber, with eyes that looked like golden coins, and who's touch burned like a metal brand. The boy offered to "grant him his wish" to dance the dance of his homeland, "a trifling wish" the boy had said, to someone like himself, though Basilio must keep the exchange secret till their lessons were through. Basilio infatuated with the boy accepted. They were a strict (some might even call abusive) teacher, and danced with a ferocity and speed Basilio had not seen before. When he returned for subsequent lessons sometimes they appeared as a boy again, sometimes as a girl, but always the same obsidian skin and cold golden eyes. They grew with Basilio, though the Basilio guessed they were just matching his size for the sake of being a proper dance partner, and were likely a shapeshifter of some sort like some of the other occupants of the prison. They taught Basilio more than just mortal steps but how to draw on the fire around them to increase his jumps and quicken his pivots or step firmly upon the fiery earth beneath their feet to guide their partners way. Even, when Basilio's freedoms were severed by Harold, he found his mentor waiting for him at their promised time in his cell, ready to continue his lessons. After his release, on the way to New Cyre, Basilio saw his mentor for the last time in the form of a young man of equal age, after hearing of why Basilio would no longer be in the prison anymore, they simply sighed and told him to improve by their next dance, dissipating in a puff of black smoke. Basilio later learned outside the confines of the prison that the creature was likely an Efreet. Basilio still keeps the exchange secret as he feels their lessons have not ended. People who would know of this: Basilio, His mentor, anyone his mentor told People who could suspect: People who dance with Basilio or notice strange eccentricities within his tago, people with knowledge of the planes especially Fernia His Host-Awful Fashion Sense Basilio tried to dress up fancy once. It didn't go well. Never again. People who would know of this: Everyone at Deathsgate and whoever they told (adventurer's are a gossipy bunch) Allies Ulrich d'Kundarak The closest thing to a father figure Basilio had, this cigar smoking dwarf used to dote over the young Basilio, often telling him tales of his time adventuring below the Holds, trying to free the under kingdom from the foul monsters below. In some ways Basilio's urge to adventure stems from Ulrich. The old dwarf however was cycled out like many other guards after Harold became warden. He now works as a vault keeper in Sharn but is still in close contact with the Montagna's. He was the one that recommended Isabella's current Jorasco doctor and also helped Basilio get a job as a Deathsgate adventurer. Finnegan Wakefield A hard-drinking, hard-fighting, son-of-a-ballista adventurer from Deathsgate, and Basilio's best friend. Unlike Basilio he is incredibly charismatic and helped get Basilio out of many fights that were started from the monk unintentionally insulting someone or through them if it came to it and violence couldn't be ruled out. He and Basilio still go drinking every Far night. Kiran Cluny This skinny human wererat from the Circle of Plague helped the Deathsgate adventurers find the "Rat King" that was poaching wererats from his family. Basilio thinks they are friends. Kiran does not. Enemies 5/8ths of the Rat King of Stormreach The self-proclaimed "Rat King of Stormreach" was a psionic wererat aberration made up of eight were-rats with their tails tied together. They held "court" over a warren of wererats and actual rats with a giant-age artifact that Basilio's crew in the Deathsgate Guild were tasked with acquiring for a businessman in Sharn. The Rat King had powers over the minds of those around them and Basilio and some of his crew had freedom over their bodies taken until one of those not effected was able to land a solid blow against one of the wererat's in the nest of tails to dispel the effect. 3 of the 8 were-rats were killed before one of the sneakier members of the crew stole the crown and Basilio made off with two of the unconscious members with the remaining ranger booking it alongside him. The Rat King is likely still alive, and Basilio still has nightmares over the loss of control over his body. Harold D'Kundarak The WORST '''person ever, who just so happens to be the warden of L05T. Basilio does not know he's dead so he's still on the list. Officer Gary Copper A buy-the-book watch member of the Sharn Watch who is tired of Baz's shenanigans, which include maybe jumping off high towers and floating down to the lower city. Gary is a balding middle-aged gnome with a pot belly and a droopy mustache. He frequently says he's "still got it". Basilio very much doubts this, and uncharacteristically despises the man. Curlot Dral A Clifftop adventurer, this Khoravar barbarian nursed a black-eye from Basilio in a Clifftop Deathgate brawl and hasn't let it go. Personality '''Personality Traits * I always have a block of wood on hand and tend to carve people's faces when talking to them. * Anyone I don't not know, is a friend waiting to be made. * I tend to be very expressive and show a wide range of emotions that change as quick as they come. Ideals * Freedom. I am a free spirit and I'll never go back in a cage no matter how gilded. * Self-improvement. Every punch, every kick, every pivot, every bruise, every cut, every burn, I'm perfecting my art and by extension, myself. Bonds * My mother is the only family I have left. I'll make sure she gets the best treatment she can, if it kills me. * I am still keeping my eye out for my enigmatic mentor. Strengths * Basilio will do everything to the best of his ability, with passion and excitement, eager to put his body and wits to the test. Flaws * I sometimes lose my temper... sometimes, and when I do it's difficult for me to quell my rage. * Relying on others is being weak. I'm fine with people relying on me, but I have to be better than that. Completed Missions Insert Mission Name Here (Describe anything from the mission that particularly impacted your character, any achievements, allies or enemies acquired, etc.) Crunch XP & Gold Log This transaction list must include all finished expeditions and the gold/XP earned for each, as well as all expenditures (what you bought and for how much). Inventory * A quarterstaff * Dagger x10 * an explorer’s pack ** a Backpack ** a Bedroll ** a Mess kit ** a Tinderbox ** 10 torches ** 10 days of Rations ** a Waterskin ** 50 feet of Hempen rope * Your Inheritance (The Burning Dance) * a set of traveler's clothes * Woodcarver's Tools * a pouch containing 15 gp * Band of Jumping (Fluffed Ring of Jumping) * Ankle Bracelets of Striding and Springing (Fluffed Boots of Striding and Springing) * Pocket Conqueror Set * Potions of Healing (Greater) x3 Character Sheet * Link to character sheet